Artist Laila Sharmeen celebrated Bangladesh at her 12th solo painting exhibition, titled “Golden Bengal,” held recently at the gallery of the Alliance Française in Dhaka.
The last day of the exhibition was on Monday.
Sharmeen's delicate use of color and distinctive brushstrokes were evident in 30 pieces of artwork on various mediums, including paper and acrylic on canvas.
Currently settled in Canada, Laila Sharmeen has remained connected to her country of birth through her art. Nature, folk literature, philosophy and mythology of Bangladesh were her focus for the “Golden Bengal” series.
The literature and philosophy of TS Eliot, Jibanananda Das, Kant, Derrida and Foucault also inspire Laila in her work.
Paddy fields, rivers, water hyacinths, birds, butterflies, fish, catkin, water lilies and Lampyridae are some of the subjects of her paintings.
The artist said she wishes for her audience to not only admire her paintings, but to also feel an emotional connection through them.
Regarding the focus on nature, she said the adverse effects of climate change have become a crisis for our existence and she wants to raise awareness of what we stand to lose if climate change and global warming are not addressed.
Dhaka TribuneSharmeen's poetic self can be found in an essay accompanying her art, titled "Bedbug, Dhaka, and Toronto." It explains how she found fresh ideas for art in a variety of mediums, and how her wide range of genres, from etching to painting to mixed media, is surprisingly minimalistic.
The liberal use of empty space, in contrast to the rich colours and textures, enables visitors to contribute their own colours of imagination to complete the picture, she said.
The exhibition also included her latest project, "Return to Nature". Vegetable seeds, contained in jute pouches, were coiled like a snake on the gallery floor, intending to fascinate visitors as they toured the display.
“I am deeply inspired by literature and philosophy, and these have a special significance in my depictions of nature. My artwork also reflects my childhood, in Gandaria of old Dhaka, where I tried to capture the times I spent in gardens and lakes,” she added
“The spontaneous beauty of the geese from our pond, dhundul flowers in the backyard, and soft breezes across the gardens all find a spot in my paintings," she further said.
Laila Sharmin has participated in 60 international group exhibitions. In 2011, she won the prestigious 16th Space International Print Biennial Award held at the OCI Museum of Art in Seoul, Korea.
She also showcased her work at the MEADOWS-Personal Structures project at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and 2022.